


Pictures of You

by reiley



Series: Torchwood Jack/Ianto Ficlets [14]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angsty Schmoop, Ficlet Collection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 04:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reiley/pseuds/reiley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>post 'Something Borrowed' - Jack and Ianto back at the hub</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pictures of You

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted: 03/09/08

* * *

“Was that your stomach or mine?” Ianto asks, face smashed up against Jack’s warm, sweet smelling skin. He should probably move, as he’s lying right on top of the man, but it’s too comfy and he doesn’t care. He presses his face deeper into the hollow between Jack’s neck and shoulder and sighs, contentedly. A moment later, “Definitely yours.” He moves his hand to the bed, ready to push himself off of Jack when the arms around him tighten.

“Wait. Not yet.” Jack squeezes Ianto, once, quickly, not letting him go, continues to hold him there, feeling him, smelling him, listening to his steady heartbeat and easy breathing.

The breath huffs out of him, ruffling Jack’s hair. Ianto allows himself a rueful smile. “You’re doing it again.” Hands rub up and down his back.

“Doing what?”

“Being far away. Come back.”

“I’m right here.”

Ianto reaches up to cup Jack’s chin and tip his face to look into his eyes. “She’ll only be away for two weeks, Jack. She’s not gone for good.”

“One day she will be,” Jack whispers, looking away. He pulls Ianto closer, kissing the top of his head. “You’ll be gone. You’ll all be gone.” He runs his hands over Ianto’s back and sides, tracing the muscles under his skin, trying to memorize every little detail. “I hate being alone.”

“You’re not alone.” He breaks free of Jack’s grip to push up onto one elbow and look down at him. “Stop thinking about it.”

“I can’t help it sometimes.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” With one finger, he traces Jack’s lips, bends down to kiss him.

“Not the only reason, I hope.” Jack pulls his head back down bringing their mouths together again. He feels, more than hears, the soft, breathy moans escaping between them, the slide of skin against skin, hand rasping against stubbled chin.

“Cake,” Ianto says, breathlessly, lips still touching.

“Huh?”

“That time it was mine.” He smirks, referring to his stomach. “And I may have taken the liberty of… stealing the leftover wedding cake and stashing it in the fridge here.” He kisses Jack again, letting his tongue slide along his lower lip. “Want some cake?”

“Mmm. Could there be coffee, too?”

“It’s a distinct possibility.”

Jack smiles, a real genuine smile for what feels like the first time since last night. “Sounds like a plan, Mr. Jones. You’ll be serving in the nude?”

“Nuh-uh. It’s cold out there.” Ianto pushes the covers away from them and swings his leg over Jack’s body. Straddling Jack’s lap, he says, “And I’m not bringing it down here, either. No way I’m sleeping in sheets covered in crumbs and icing all over. There are enough stains and sticky spots as it is.”

The rumble of Jack’s laughter beneath him feels so good he almost forgets about what he was doing. One foot on the cold floor of Jack’s room, though, reminds him and Ianto heaves himself off the bed and out of Jack’s reach, grabbing his trousers and Jack’s white t-shirt on the way to the ladder.

Jack idly watches Ianto struggle into his clothes and disappear through the hatch into the office. He takes his time dressing, doesn’t bother with a shirt since Ianto stole his, and makes his way up. He stops when he finds Ianto holding up the rusty, yellow box.

“I was only moving it out of the way. You left it out.”

“It’s alright.” He relaxes and comes forward, taking the box from Ianto’s hands. He almost slides it back into the drawer, but stops himself. Instead, sitting down in his desk chair, pulling Ianto into his lap with one arm, he holds it up to him. “My life in a box. Well… some of the good parts, anyway.” When Ianto merely looks down at him, he pushes the box at him again.

“Jack, you don’t have to-”

“Go on. I want to.”

Ianto takes the box carefully, as if it is fragile, and slowly lifts the lid. He handles the photographs gently, by the edges, flipping through very slowly. Seeing Jack through the years. When he comes to the last, placed with care into an envelope, he looks questioningly at Jack who nods.

The breath catches in his throat and Ianto tries to cover it. “She was beautiful.”

“Yes, she was.” Jack leans his head against Ianto, one arm around his middle tugging him closer still. “She was the most wonderful, amazing woman and I…” his voice trembles almost undetectably, “I was the selfish bastard who wouldn’t let her go.” Ianto looks at him sharply and Jack makes a ‘shushing’ gesture. “She might have had a long, happy life if she’d never met me.”

“And she might have never known true love or happiness if she’d never met you,” Ianto counters. Jack frowns up at him, but he ignores it. “Look at the woman in this picture, Jack. Tell me she wasn’t happy here. Tell me she would have rather never laid eyes on you.” Jack looks away from him with a sigh. “You made her life special, Jack. Don’t belittle her feelings just because you think you know better.”

This time, Jack looks up sharply, but he doesn’t say anything. Ianto very carefully replaces the photos and closes the box up tight. He moves off Jack’s lap and sits on the edge of the desk, instead, sliding a little plate with a slice of cake toward Jack. Two perfect cups of coffee sit cooling on the tray next to him. Jack takes the plate and slowly brings a forkful of cake to his mouth.

“It was a good wedding,” Jack says and looks up at Ianto. “Right? I mean, after all the… not so good parts.”

Ianto smiles. “Yes. It was. And don’t worry, everyone will only remember the good parts. I made sure of it myself. And Tosh is doctoring all the photos on her home computer. No traces of alien mothers-in-law or pregnant brides.”

“Good,” Jack says, with a nod and a smile. He looks back again, and the words are out before he has time to think. “Did you never want to get married, Ianto?”

The air freezes, fork halfway to his mouth, Ianto lets it clatter back to his plate. His eyes soften and he whispers, “I was going to marry Lisa.”

Jack sets his plate down on the desk and rests a hand on Ianto’s knee. It’s no longer the unspoken subject between them, but he should have known better than to bring it up. To his surprise, Ianto smiles down at him.

“Though, I never did actually get the chance to ask her. Not sure she’d have said yes, anyway. She was very career-minded. Always came first.”

“I’m sure she-”

“Don’t. Don’t say what might have been if things had been different. Just don’t.” He takes Jack’s hand and moves back onto his lap, facing him. “It’s just now, Jack.”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

>  _*Come lay here beside me and I’ll fear no death. I’ll give you my body and I’ll breathe your breath. No one will harm you inside this song. We will be safe here as the night is long._  
>  \- [Good Friday by Elvis Perkins](http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/elvis-perkins-its-a-sad-sad-world-out-there-whats-not-to-like-concert/20030065-110490.html)


End file.
